Wolverhampton Girls' High School

Years 7-11 are bad, the teachers barely recognise you as human beings, although this may be because they are traumatised from the appalling behaviour from younger years. For example, I had a teacher for 5 years from year 7-11, seeing them a few times a week, and they didn’t even know my name. The school’s response to the increasingly poor behaviour from younger years is to crack down on ridiculous rules, for example immediately removing your coat after coming outside (even if you are going back out). More and more pupils are entering the school at the cost of safety. The corridors get so packed at break and lesson change times that I have almost suffocated after having massive backpacks shoved into my thorax. The old building simply isn’t big enough to accommodate the increasing size of the school, yet the school’s resolution is to build outwards. The issue comes from the corridors being designed for a school of around 300, not 1000. A one way system in the corridors actually causes more problems, as you are forced to take a 5 minute detour and end up punished for being late to lessons. Many senior teachers have suspiciously left recently, leaving many exam year groups without a substantial replacement. Good teachers are also being kicked out to make room for a larger physics department; was it not already apparent that only 2 physics teachers is not enough? It also implies that the school is going downhill- in the last year more teachers have left than ever before. Generally students do not feel listened to with their issues, and as soon as you have an issue within school their immediate response is to involve your parents. Hygiene is a major problem with the school. Toilets are always disgusting (usually down to younger students vandalising them) and classrooms never feel clean. People with dust allergies are constantly sneezing which is generally gross. The heating is never on in the winter and it feels sub zero, yet you’re told off for putting your coat on. In the peak of summer, it’s on full blast and no one wants to take their jumper off because of how low quality and see through the shirts are.
On the plus side, the standard of teaching is generally good (with the exception of a few teachers) and you get mostly get support to boost your grades. You get great opportunities from the school, improving your cv and for future applications for university. There has been a positive shift in focus from only applying to university, as they are beginning to encourage other options such as apprenticeships. When you reach sixth form, you are treated much better and teachers make an effort to form a relationship with students. There is good support for university applications and good support for a levels too. Teachers begin to listen to your feedback.

No support at all, turn clever students into nervous wrecks. No understanding at all. Shout shout shout. Some teachers don’t even understand what they are teaching. students have to beg for support or exam timestable. Ofsted should come in and ask students randomly how they feel and see how they are taught. Headteacher struts about but doesn’t ever ask students how they feel or their opinions

Liked years 7-11, after that it was not good. Wished I’d have left for sixth form

the school is horrible. on open days all teachers r COMPLETELY different people nd the fact we arent alloud to show the school bathrooms on open days says a lot about the cleanliness and hygeine: something the school doesnt bother with even after many students asking for clean bathrooms. the teachers only like you if your sporty or white lol. the teachers say they care sm abt student wellbeing but still let the teacher who told a student to kill themselves stay? also thr racism is BAD. one of the white teachers kept saying the n word in front of black students but she only got a few days off? the school rules are ridiculous, for example, the new rule of getting a CONDUCT mark if u wear ur coat inside- conduct marks = isolation but i don’t understand why the punishment of something severe (worth a conduct mark) is equal to a coat😭 also the teachers are extremely rude and some scream just because they can, and when students try and explain whats happening they brush u off and continue screaming at you. the deputy headteachers r male nd utterly ridiculous. one of the deputies is always touching nd tapping girls nd use ing the excuse “take ur coat off”, he couod just say that but he always ends up touching someone. nd theres so many weird male teachers, one of them always stares at the firls at the school and favouritses them (mr p if u know who im on ab😭), the schools always rinsing our money taking kike £500 for celeb week which if i payed for myself would come to like £200. Many teachers are also hateful and speak to students wirh SUCH disrespect (always telling students to shut up etc) the suicide rate at our skls also very high so If u care abt ur daughters mental health dont send her here even if the school make themselves look amazing theyre really not😘

I feel like this is definately common knowledge with students and former students (even some members of staff) but this school does not care for your mental health. They act like they do because it's a requirement, not because they do care. When I say this, I mean as the school in general - some teachers are nice and genuinely do care.
It feels as though the pastoral staff don't actually know what they're doing? They do let you sit out for lessons when you're overwhelmed but they constantly remind you that "you have to go back to lesson at some point", which is fair but it's almost like they don't give you time to calm down. Again, it just feels like a requirement.
There's also a lot of subtle discrimination at our school, especially against the queer community. I'd say there's definately a clear divide between straight people and gay/allys. The school rarely ever talks about those issues - though they have been slightly better with dealing with them I think. Recently, they've made it a rule in our planners that we must respect people's preferred names and pronouns, which when I first heard about it made me quite happy. However, on a much more personal level, some teachers continue to deadname us and use incorrect pronouns despite them knowing us for years. I'm not saying this applies to everyone, but I do have quite a few friends with this issue. It just makes many people's experience with this school feel unsafe and not properly welcomed.
2 years ago I had a girlfriend, people knew of us and teachers speculated. Well we also had a classmate who wasn't the most fond of us being together. She'd talk behind our backs and made really offensive comments to gay people. We were never close but we used to joke to eachother on the occasion, but that was before I came out and then she just ignored me altogether. When a friend finally reported her to the hub because of what she said, it was my friend was got into trouble and not her - under the impression that it was "bullying". Everyone was mad at the girl so she started victimising herself. The school didn't care that me and my then-girlfriend were dealing with homophobia, they didn't even realise what she said was offensive. After that, it was really difficult to trust the hub. Most people don't, they usually end up crying in the toilets.
The lack of care for people's health isn't just limited to students, it's affected teachers too. Everyone in the school knows how toxic the english department is to younger teachers. They constantly gossip about how "they don't know how to teach properly" when most students quite enjoy being around them. 2 teachers left in the English department because of the constant back-handed mockery from the older teachers.

Overall, the school is just very toxic to be in. Obviously, there are things that I love about the school. I love the house events, the competition and 6th form review. I love the events that the school plans out for years during 'celebration week'. I love how accomodating the music department is, when they let students borrow a practice room. But that doesn't overule how stressful and toxic every single day is. I often find myself skiving school a lot because it's just very difficult to function properly there. If you value your child's wellbeing, self confidence and safety then I strongly don't recommend this school for them. If you feel as though they're able to handle the immense pressure, they're probably not - in year 7 most people think they can but as the years progress it just gets more and more draining.

I love this school. Everyone's so friendly and the headteachers' really nice

I really can't advise against this school enough. please if you care about your child at all do not send them there. They hygiene teachers and environment are all disgusting and the teachers care more about your grades than the individuals themselves. We're not allowed lockers meaning we have to carry around about 5 folders a day (in year 10) and you feel as id you are defined by your grades. The environment is so toxic is vicious and as a 14 year old I would rather be enjoying my teenage years rather than dreading another day at this hell ish school. Everyone hates it, it's horrible. As someone who attended a public school for primary, the overall attitude ot learning, environment and response to bullying was taken much more seriously than this school where bullying is ignored as the school cares more about its reputation. There is blatant racism that the school doesn't care about and teachers go into the girls bathrooms as it's a 'communal area'. I worked really hard rk get into this school as I was told this school was amazing and I would achieve good grades and meet nice people and the teachers would be supportive. Honestly my school experience has been the worst of my life and Im counting down the days u tik I can leave. Please even if your child is really smart they will do better with a learning environment that is bit toxic or threatening to them. when I first joined the school I would go to the hub (which is like a place where you can report things or talk to the teachers) about all of the stuff that was happening in my year e. g. how nasty some of the students were and I have been told many times that teachers don't do anything about it and use it as gossip in the staff room. Some teachers even name and Shame who did badly on tests and the school makes you feel your best efforts aren't good enough. Any criticism to the school means tou will get in trouble, the teachers are horrible at their jobs and most if the content you have to teach yourselves. I feel as though the whole school drains the life and personality out of you. The hygiene at this school is also awful, there was a mouldy orange at the top of the PE changing rooms and it stayed there for a whole year until it deteriorated into a green mouldy dust.There are problems with homophobia racism and transpbobia all from teachers and students but as long as you're getting good grades the teachers coukdnt care less. I've never met someone who actually enjoys going to this school and I don't feel privileged at all to be going her ei feel as if it were a burden. My whole experience here has been a nightmare I really can't waut to leave and so I'm pleading for anyone who doenst attend this school hwk is thinking if sending your child here, please don't.

well, there's quite a bit to say. i would say the biggest one problem is equality and treatment of students who are minorities. it doesn't matter whether it's small comments or big acts, it's still wrong and still happening. as a trans student myself, i am not called by my correct pronouns. the only teacher who used my correct pronouns does not teach me anymore. yes, it may be an 'all girls school', but you are presenting as a girl when coming into the school: people grow and people change, moving schools isn't always possible. all we hear is "girls, ladies, women, she, her". next, hygiene. the toilets are grim and disgusting. on my first day at school here, i went to the toilet and there was shit smeared all around the seat. the hygiene of the food: no. they recently created a new schedule, it's better, but still bad. there have been many incidents including mould, out of date food and even rats. most teachers i believe are okay, but there are things they could work on a ding out fair punishments and talking through the problem instead of handing out order/conduct marks for every little thing. okay, that's it. don't send your kid here <33

This school was genuinely a horrible place. I don’t recommend to anybody. The atmosphere is horrible and the girls are so mean and snobby. Teachers couldn’t care less about your mental health or any issues your facing just your grades. The school turns so many sweet and innocent girls into girls who are two-faced and think bullying is cool. To be honest I don’t even think the school knows what bullying or racism means. They act like they care but if it involves a teacher putting effort in then nothings going to be done about it. Half of the teachers can’t even teach so if you’re going to go there be prepared to teach yourself. Teachers only seem to care about themselves as well. They always tell you if you don’t pass a test that ruins their reputation. If you’re thinking of coming to this school just don’t. I can promise you that you’ll miss out on a huge part of your life. A lot of kids say they hate school but you shouldn’t hate yourself because of school. Don’t come to Wghs find a school that’ll support you and actually care because honestly the only reason kids get sent here is because of its name the schools reputation, but the school shouldn’t have a reputation and if it does it should be a bad one. Save yourself and don’t ever come to this school

honestly, it's hard. The amount of assessments and homework we get is completely overwhelming (as only a year 10 student) and when teachers are questioned about the amount it is completely brushed off. I'd say around 30% of staff are lovely, and they really are good teachers but the other 70% I cannot understand how the got past the interview with their bad manners and lack of care for students. I have got used to the atmosphere over a while, but for someone who really wants to try to enjoy their secondary school experience, go somewhere else.

Hello. I am a current student at WGHS. I can confirm everybody's thoughts about the school. I shall start with the blatant racism here. As a white person i cannot speak from the perspective of my black and non white perspective. During English readings from books, the English teachers sometimes say the N word from the book. The only way to survive WGHS is to either be extremely smart, close with the teacher sporty or white. It's disgusting. Some teachers even refuse to use LGBTQIA+ people's pronouns even when they legally have to. Currently as of the date of 08/03/2022 (Tuesday 8th March 2022), my friend got £30 taken straight out of her purse by another student. It happened 3 or 4 times in PE with over £100 being stolen. Not to mention how there is literal crap on the walls in the toilets. The pressure there is so hard. We get tested every other week practically and the teachers put so much pressure on the test. We get tons of homework and it's often difficult to understand. The teachers hand out order marks and conduct marks (punishment things. You get 4 order marks you get detention. A conduct mark is 2 order marks) if you don't get homework done. Some of the teachers harass us. One of the male teachers was seen in the girls bathroom. He got reported by loads of people in my year but the school ignored it. It's disgusting. It's nothing with the students... I know loads of the different people and most are really nice. It's high-school so there's obviously gonna be some not too nice people. We have to stick together. The teachers are nice... A few of the PE teachers are nice, the English staff are usually nice but that's pretty much it. We have to study three languages and have lots to memorise. There's a lot of antisemitism... My Jewish friends was told to d*e cause she's Jewish. If you're white, some of the people turn everything you say racist... They manipulate you words. You go from saying oh sorry i done have a pen you can borrow to saying the N word. Some white people are actually racist others aren't. People find staplers in the food, a lot of it is out of date next day or on the day it sold. I had an onion prawn sandwich once and threw up on the way home from school. Do not try the food from the canteen. Bring your own lunches. Overall i dont recommend the school... From my experience here it's been terrible and i really want to move schools. But i am not allowed. Please read this before sending you daughter to Wghs. Our suicide rate is also really high and there are many articles on suicide at our school. Please. Do not send your daughter to WGHS... Your child would be better at a public school with racist and homophobic kids

The school really needs to listen to their students, mental health is huge issue here, no support is given and its just brushed under the carpet when we speak to teachers. The teachers give you no support and are always pushy, all they are interested in are grades. The atmosphere is very low amongst most students, everyone is out for themselves, I blame the school and teachers for creating this atmosphere. I look forward to the day I finally leave.

A terrible school that hides behind a good name. A truly toxic environment, where there is zero concern for the welfare of the girls who pass through its doors each year. The proof is in the number of girls who develop severe mental health problems whilst at the school. If you want an honest review of the girls high, then ask a girl that goes here (and not at the open evening, that couldn’t be more staged if we tried)
Send your daughters here at your own peril.

i have no idea how the school got such a good reputation. fully convinced they have spiked inspectors' drinks because it is a total shithole. honestly i don't even know where to start. they think they have good ways of dealing with mental health, with a hub of teachers/staff you can talk to, but it is just embarrassing and unhelpful. cases of bullying and discrimination are constantly ignored and your issues are downplayed. you get harsher punishments for going on your phone, having the wrong earrings in or rolling up your skirt than you do for bullying because of their obsession with image. if you want to get your emotions out? i suggest crying in the toilets. expect they are DISGUSTING. for a school for girls they never empty sanitary bins and things are always broken. general cleanliness is appalling, the floors are dirty, classrooms have lots of cobwebs, dust, etc and food is left for months or even YEARS and not cleaned up. there is literally a yogurt stain in a classroom from two years ago. showers in the changing rooms are mouldy and dripping. they had a gas leak (and didn't shut the school ? i think that's illegal) and multiple rat infestations in the kitchen. once in september my friend had some food with an expiry date of june. and don't even get me started on the teachers and pressure. teaching standards are often quite poor, although there are some exceptions (@ my bio teacher ily). teachers expect you to grasp content easily and tend not to explain things well as they think you already know it ?? i don't get it either. the only reason they get consistently high grades is because the students have to take an entrance exam. and back to mental health and discrimination. a white teacher said the n word in front of a whole class and is STILL EMPLOYED at the school. after an excess of complaints. another teacher got with a former student. the schools main focus is to uphold their good reputation and having good grades instead of how students feel. there is so much pressure to do well in every single test. in may exams of year 10, if you underperformed in a test you would be moved to foundation papers, even if you were just having a bad exam. they care more about getting new like science blocks (which u can find online they're building it !! there r articles) instead of getting things with this massive amount of money students have been asking for. they literally get million pound grants but cannot take care of basic things students need. for example there are not enough lockers - they are always dangerously overcrowded. but instead of fixing these issues they add two new extensions in five years so they can recruit more year sevens. why. ALSO they explicitly lied to touring parents that the new extension would have a bigger dining room (the current one is also too crowded). their facilities, teaching, treatment of students and the overall experience are shockingly bad.
so to conclude !! don't send your kids here. even if they are exceptionally clever, they will do better in an environment where they can take time to relax instead of losing all passion for learning because of the pressure.

I am fairly new to the school so my experience here hasn’t been as long as others. However, it’s like any other school in my opinion there’s nothing special about the learning and academic work. Instead of the “fun and challenging” work that’s advertised it’s boring and makes me and others discouraged from learning.
In general the teachers aren’t the best. Of course there are some good teachers but it doesn’t get better than that. When faced with homophobia and transphobia, it was my friend who got in trouble instead of the person who was being discriminatory. Love English, but sometimes I feel like there’s a bit too much pressure put on students. It feels like the school expects us to behave and have the same intelligence/maturity as 20 year olds.
Hygiene’s absolute shit. The old toilets constantly smell of piss, clogged pipes, broken locks that have still yet to be fixed but haven’t. Before covid when the PE changing rooms were available, the drainage of the showers were infected with black mould and still are I think. But the worst is the food, its too greasy that I saw a fly drown in it. And on one occasion, a friend saw mould in the jelly and they only refunded them.
The only valid reason I could think of sending your child here is because you don’t want to send then to other schools 😐

shitty, the teachers are horrible and dont understand anything and only care about themselves even if it makes u uncomfy. they dont let you express urself whatsoever they get mad at u for a little bit of nail polish, or if you wear a zip up hoodie indoors. and once i found mold in the school jelly and all they did was give me a refund. teachers are also very hypocritical, and transphobic.

Although I’m quite new, I do love the school very much. Some, but only a few teachers, are mean, but most are kind and helpful. It is very engaging and welcoming, and as a LGBTQ, European and Jewish student I have faced no issues whatsoever.

If you are thinking about sending your child here, please do not. while known for achieving high grades, this is the only positive thing about this school. In terms of student mental health support and protecting students from discrimination (be it racism, homophobia, or bullying in general) this school is extremely lacking in dealing with these issues and making sure it doesn't happen again; there is little to no punishment for such actions. Similarly, the school does not care for students mental health in the slightest. They are so hyper focused on getting the best grades possible that this issue goes completely unnoticed. They will have you think that their "hub" is a great place for pastoral support with confidential counsellors but this is the furthest from true. Their system is useless and often makes students feel worse about their situation. Also, this school is extremely dirty. The kitchen received a 0/5 star health and hygiene rating in 2019 because of a rat infestation that was not dealt with, the toilets are frankly disgusting, remaining unclean and the toilet rolls unstocked. Most rooms for learning are also filthy; there are cobwebs and old food scattered all over these rooms, and the floor is always covered in mud. The only reason I have given this school a two star rating instead of a one star rating is because if the schools social climate. While discrimination as I mentioned before often goes unchecked, students in this school have a strong sense of comradeship and will often band together to comfort the affected pupil. Similarly, the single gender situation allows for a lot more individuality than what would be allowed in a public school. However, since this is the only single positive I can think of for this school after having attended it for seven years, I would strongly advise against having your daughter attend.

does not take any criticism. teachers can be problematic and they dont do anything about. support in the school is little to none. they also do nothing about discrimination. they need to sort out their priorities. academic wise, it is good though.